I'm just missing you, Father
by Secret-Universe
Summary: Mickey has been acting strange, all mopeful, depressed, and scared... can his friends do anything to help him or will he continue to go on... like this? My first Disney fanfic Read & Review
1. Another Nightmare

_It all started by a mouse… a young mouse, which does seem odd, since when he was awake he hardly had any memory of his childhood. Inside a small white hospital room, young Mickey Mouse is seen by the window, playing with two stuffed animals, waiting as voices are heard on the other side of the door. Voices of nurses and doctors. His father, the all-known famous Walt Disney, had been ill for quite some time. Mickey had hoped day and night his only parent would be well soon but Uncle Roy confessed it was a fatal sickness. A beeping sound is all the mouse was listening to, hearing it go the usual beep after beep… suddenly, a longer beep took place and the voices got louder. The stuffed animals dropped from his hands in horror as his eyes moistened._

"_D-Daddy…?" he ran in slow motion to try and reach the door but it was reaching out of reach, "Dad! FATHER!"_

_Voices, the never-ending beep, the shrinking doorway all blurred together with voices mixing here and there, it got louder and louder until it was too much for his sensitive ears. He fell to his knees, clutching his head, tears forming a river on his face and there came a scream…_

Well, in reality, the only scream came from Mickey himself. He clutched tight onto the covers of his warm bed, sweat began to damp his forehead as he shook with every breathing. Heck, he was hardly a full adult mouse and here he was, just as scared as any other little kid waking up from a bad dream.

Knocking rapped on his door but he couldn't answer. He was still shaking too much. The door opened anyway as the person invited himself inside and straight next to Mickey. Donald Duck, who had been sleeping next door, had been woken up from his slumber land due to the sudden harsh cry from the mouse and had come to see the problem, even though... he already knew why...

"Was it another nightmare?" He asked, his usual screechy tempered voice lowered down to a calm tone as if a parent were soothing their own frightened child.

Mickey was silent for a few minutes before he was ready to talk again. He normally didn't like lying and always found it a bad thing but he lied to Donald none the less.

"I don't know…" He said, speaking with broken words, "I don't remember…" He hid his face in the covers.

The white duck moved closer to hug his friend until the shaking stopped and Mickey calmed down. He regretted already lying but it was best this way. This had been going on for some time and it was always the same dream. The doctors and nurses talking, the long noise of the monitor and… he really didn't want to think about it anymore, he just… didn't…

"Are you okay?" Donald's voice reached him again.

"Huh?" Mickey then slowly nodded, "Oh, yes, uh… I'll be fine…"

"If you say so…" Donald pushes his friend gently back into bed as Mickey pulled up the blankets, "Just call if you need anything."

"Right." Mickey watched silently as the door closed behind the duck and he stared out into the silent nighttime and sighed sadly.

The only thing he needed…

Really, really needed…

Was a father…

And not just any type of father…

Walt Disney… the man who started everything…

"Dad…"


	2. Terrible Sickness

It's early in the morning but it was a late kind of morning for the poor mouse. Mickey groaned as he forced himself to open his heavy eyelids and blinked blindly at the sunlight sneaking through the curtain. He smacked his lips, trying to get rid of the bitter morning taste. He hasn't eaten so much lately, due to his stomach's growling complaints. He sat up slowly, standing up but almost stumbled against the wall, clutching his tummy. Man, besides Minnie's tasty dinner, what had he been eating lately? Had he even been keeping track? Sadly, no answer to reply to it. Fumbling with the doorknob and stepping into the hallway, Mickey made the long trudge downstairs to join his friends, the smell leading the way for him since he was still so sleepy.

He finally arrived in the kitchen, where the gang was feasting on Minnie's famous blueberry pancakes. His favorite, delicious pancakes... so why did he suddenly not get the happy urge like he used to? Seating himself in his chair, he felt a poke near his leg and looked; it's his dog Pluto, and he whined, worried for his master's behavior lately. Mickey patted his head to assure him otherwise of his solution and turned his attention to his breakfast. Very funny, the pancakes always shaped like his head, it was an old joke but people loved it. Staring glumly, he only poked at his meal. Daisy, beside him, had asked two times for him to pass the syrup but then she finally noticed the poor pale expression glued to his face.

"Oh my, you still not feeling well from last night?"

Mickey jumped a bit, startled by both her voice and how she knew what happened the other evening, "Huh? What?"

"You know, what Donald said." Daisy explained, "He said he heard you scream and he wasn't sure if you were telling him the truth about these nightmares."

A blush rushed onto his cheeks, "Oh uh, it… it was nothing, just um…I don't know." Getting the dry throat, Mickey gulped down his milk and stood up to get ready for his job at the House of Mouse, but his girlfriend had stopped him short.

"Mickey, what's wrong?" Minnie grew very worried, "You didn't eat your breakfast, I thought you loved my pancakes."

"I do, but… I'm just not hungry right now." Again, the fib tugged at him like a pinch, "I'll… I'll just grab something later on the way."

Minnie watched sadly as he left the kitchen in haste. Pluto whined again as Minnie hugged the dog closely, "I know, Pluto, I'm worried about him too. We all are."

* * *

Later, at the famous mansion where all Disney characters young, old and animal came to pass the time, Mickey mumbled bitterly fixing his jacket. He stared in the mirror at his reflection, "Gosh, I don't look good." It was true. His bright brown eyes were close to a pale black, too many circles to count under them, and he looked more like he haven't slept in days, or mainly, weeks. But he couldn't let this get to him now; he had a show to put on.

He walked slowly along the hallway, trying to avoid glances at him. He couldn't help it for being famous but he did wish they just wouldn't stare, not with him in this sick case… was he sick? He didn't feel sick, but it was hard to tell lately.

"Hi, Mickey." He glanced up at the Arabian couple on their carpet, Aladdin and Princess Jasmine. "Which way did Genie say he would meet us?" asked the young princess.

"Over by table 9." He directed them.

"Thanks." Aladdin then noticed Mickey's features, "You don't look so well, just like Genie when he caught that cold after being splashed with melons."

"Oh." Mickey tried to figure out an excuse, "It's, uh… practice for the Halloween Special."

Jasmine wasn't fooled, "Wasn't that last year?"

_Nice going idiot_, Mickey thought angrily but made another excuse, "I was… busy writing new jokes and cartoon ideas last night."

"Wow, you really are a busy mouse. We'll be going and thanks again." As they flew off, Mickey sighed in relief. That was a close one, but he worried the others might not fall for it.

Later on, as the show is going, Mickey tried to concentrate on his guests and friends then on himself, but his buzzing head and growling stomach weren't so much help. After he decided to show off a few cartoons, starting with the one when he babysat Donald's messy nephews with Space Probe, he headed backstage and sat in one of the chairs to take it easy from the hard work he pushed lately. He glanced slowly to see the white tempered duck searching for something.

"What's wrong, Donald?" Mickey got up, despite wanting to stay glued to the seat to rest some more.

"I can't find Goofy." Donald muttered, "He has service to keep up and the people are waiting for orders."

"Oh, I'll go find him." Mickey sighed, kind of wishing that Donald would refuse the offer but the duck gladly agreed. So, after taking a look in the back of the kitchen, the mouse found the dog man, curled by the corner, sobbing. Feeling he knew what was wrong, Mickey approached him, "Goofy?"

"Oh, hi Mickey." Goofy looked up sadly.

Mickey knelt down by him, "Is it about Max again?" Max was the only son and related blood to Goofy, so the mouse knew exactly why.

"Yeah, Maxie's been getting so many dates, and he grew up on me so fast." Goofy sobbed again.

Mickey then smiled softly; time to give his gentle advice to the worried-sick father being… did that come out right? He'd figure that out later.

"Ah, don't worry, Goofy. Max is a growing boy but he'll always love his dad no matter how old he gets or how old you get. It always depends on the love between you as father and son."

"Gawsh…" Goofy sniffled with a smile, wiping away the last tear, "Thanks, Mickey."

Mickey smiled one of his more normal smiles and started to get up to return to his job, but as he was taking a step, his vision started to go all blurry and crazy. His head pounded like a hammer, and Mickey clutched it tightly. All of a sudden, this 'father and son' talk had gotten to him badly… very badly.

"Mickey?" Goofy noticed the mouse shaking violently, "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." Mickey found it hard to answer the right or wrong way due to the sudden uncomfortable heat sloshing around inside his brain. He turned to face his friend but suddenly stumbled backwards with a hard collide against the wall, knocking over the pots and he whimpered with his face in his hand.

"Mickey!" Goofy leapt up in worry and fright.

Mickey could no longer answer, something was stuck in his throat and growing, almost climbing and he couldn't stand the heat, churning and shaking all at the same time. Soon enough and being a full regret to the mouse, what was once inside came out… all onto the floor.

Goofy yelped in alarm, as Mickey continued to lurch all over the floor, mixing the clean white look with a sudden ugly color of green and brown. The dog man rushed outside to get help, but Mickey tried to protest, "Pl-please don't…" He was cut short by another urge to vomit, and this time, he grew horrified by the color change… red… that meant blood. Dark crimson fresh blood. What had he done to himself? His head was pounding badly and he could hardly hear the startled yelps from Goofy and his friendly rival Pete. _Oh sure, bring the cat in, why don't you Goofy?_

"Whoa there, Mouse man!" Pete suddenly changed a look of concern, which was rare, "Are you feeling alright?"

_I'm fine, just go away! _Mickey wanted to cry out but only choked out what he could, "N…no… I don't know…"

"Gather up the gang, this calls for an emergency!" Pete ordered.

"Yes, sir!" As Goofy rushed off to find the others, Pete knelt down next to Mickey, who kept shaking like a leaf in a violent rainstorm and jumped as Pete placed a cold gloved hand to his forehead. Pete yelped as if he had touched something hot. Mickey just stared up at him weakly, almost close to crying from being like this, and even asked dumbly, "What… what happened?"

"No sir, Mickey. You're not in any sort of condition to run the show like this." Without even waiting for Mickey's reply or protest, Pete gathered up the mouse in his arms and decided to take him in the spare bedroom, where someone always took turns to watch the House of Mouse during the night.

"B-but…" Mickey's voice grew hoarse and he coughed, getting a rash in his throat now, possibly from the puking. Pete turned on the lights a little, and marched straight to the large bed. He started to tuck Mickey in, "Now you just rest, we'll take care of everything."

"Pete…" Mickey didn't get a chance to finish as the large cat marched back out the doorway, closing it behind him. He sighed, knowing there was no chance of protest at this time. Why did he have to do that? That was so humiliating! He sighed again, snuggling back against the pillows, blinking madly to fight against the sleepiness but soon enough, he completely lost the fight.

Blackness was closing on him… and he passed out into a dark world… of dreaming


	3. Awakened

"_No, I don't want to go!" His voice wailed in a sad echo as tugs and pulls yanked on his little body in the cruel darkness, filled with nothing besides him and tons of voices, repeating his name over and over. Even images flew around him in a nightmare fashion that even the Disney villains couldn't beat. At one point, a small image came around more often then the others, one of a small black and oddly familiar rabbit… frowning at him, screaming in rage at him, it frightened Mickey badly. "Mickey… Mickey…" they came louder and faster, too fast for his ears to catch up on._

"_Please, don't take him!" The mouse screamed, blinded by tears and fear all the same, "I'll do anything, please give him back!"_

"_Mickey… Mickey…"_

"_I beg of you!"_

"Mickey?"

That voice changed everything. The darkness faded, the images disappeared and blinding light shined from above his head. For a second, Mickey feared the worst, but… then he remembered everything as it came back in a replay; the sickish feeling, the buzzing and… then he focused on who had called him.

"Minnie?" He turned to one side, half-relived on seeing Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Minnie and another duck, Professor Von Drake. Groaning and giving a whimper, he tried to sit up but ended up back glued to the pillow, exhausted.

"Ah, ah, ah. No need to get up yet." Von Drake insisted, concerned for the mouse's health. Mickey just smiled weakly, leaning in sitting position.

"You really gave us quite a scare back there, Mickey." Daisy explained, "Goofy and Pete told us all that was to know."

"Yeah," agreed Donald, before pointing out, "And not that it's your fault, but someone had to clean that mess."

Mickey paled, embarrassed. He forgot about that during his heavy slumber, the bitter taste was still in his mouth but he tried to wipe away the frightened look on his face, "I didn't… I mean…" He gulped, despite his throat felt dry.

"You mean you don't remember?" Von Drake didn't want Mickey having amnesia either with his sickly state.

"Oh no, it's not that. I… even I don't understand." Mickey lowered his head, guilty. But then it turned clear he wasn't the only one when the dog man suddenly fell on his knees next to his friend.

"Please forgive me, Mickey! I'm so sorry!" Goofy wept loudly.

"Goofy…" Mickey looked uneasy.

"It's my fault, right? I made you throw up in the kitchen!"

"Settle down, you big palooka." Donald pulled his companion back away, who was still sniffling loudly, "No one was blaming you."

"Oh Mickey!" Minnie wept too and she embraced her boyfriend, in so much worry, "UI was really scared for you."

"Minnie…" Mickey hugged her back, tightly. He felt bad for not having the pancakes she made this morning, but when he took a glimpse on the night table next to his bed, he noticed the tiny container with little bits of blueberry pancake and a plastic fork. He smiled, good thing Minnie thought of others before herself.

"Well, I did save some of breakfast in case you get hungry," She added, pulling away, smiling softly but still had glossy eyes from crying, "Please, get well…"

"I will, Minnie. Don't worry…" Mickey then settled back down as Von Drake ushered everyone else out but Goofy stayed for one last word.

"Are you… going to get mad at me for what happened?" He twisted and fiddled with his hat nervously, "I mean, my worries with Maxie got you all…"

"It's okay, Goofy." Mickey yawned, "I forgive you."

The dog man smiled and wiped a tear before closing the door after him. Mickey then sat up again and listened for the footsteps getting quieter. Then, with a sigh, he reached for the plastic container, popped the blue lid open and took the first bite. Thank goodness, the sweet-sour taste of blueberry and with an adding of fresh maple syrup too. Hungrily, he ate up the contacts of his missed breakfast, to fill his empty stomach. He hadn't eaten for who-knows how long.

Unknown to him, outside his window, during the night, a figure was watching silently and glaring. The moonlight portrayed his image as a rabbit… a black rabbit with blue shorts and he let words crawl over his lips…

"Get well…Brother…"


End file.
